Glittering Caves
The '''Glittering Caves', also known as Aglarond, was the cave system located behind the Deeping Wall of Helm's Deep. Description The Glittering Caves was an immense, beautiful, and ore-laden cave system that extended deep down into the White Mountains for many miles and consisted of many different paths, tunnels, and chambers. A small stream ran down through The Narrows of Helm's Deep and into the caves and was its source of water. History Before the War of the Ring Glittering Caves was one of the two fortresses built by Númenóreans to guard the Fords of Isen, Angrenost (later Isengard) being the other.The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age Like Angrenost to the north it was initially well - guarded, but as the population of Calenardhon (the later Rohan) dwindled it was increasingly less supplied and deemed unimportant, until it was only ruled by a hereditary small guard who intermarried much with Dunlendings. When Cirion, Steward of Gondor, gave Calenardhon to the Éothéod, the Glittering Caves was transferred to the Rohirrim who used it for refuge during war, strife, and the storage of provisions, but guard duty of the Fords was initially shared between Gondor and Rohan. The fortress then underwent repair with help from the masons of Gondor. The Gondor guard was merged with that of Angrenost to the north, which remained in the keep of Gondor. The shared garrisoning of the fortress continued for a time until soon it was solely part of Rohan and maintained only by the Rohirrim.Unfinished Tales, Part Three: The Third Age, V: "The Battles of the Fords of Isen" During the reign of Helm Hammerhand, the Dunlendings attacked from Isengard and across the river Isen conquering parts of Rohan. Edoras was overran and sacked, and King Helm was forced to lead much of his people into the caves where they remained during the Long Winter of TA 2758 and TA 2759.The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age" Because Helm always blew a great horn before riding out to fight the beleaguering Dunlendings, the keep was renamed the Hornburg. War of the Ring and afterwards , shown during Gandalf's escape from Orthanc]] During the War of the Ring, the Hornburg was the refuge of the Rohirrim during the Battle of the Hornburg after being driven back by the Host of Saruman.The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter VII: "Helm's Deep" After the war, Gimli the Dwarf, who had fought mightily in that battle, was allowed to settle a colony of Durin's folk there, leading a host of Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain and became the first Lord of the Glittering Caves. From this stronghold, after it had been carefully constructed, Gimli forged a new gate for Minas Tirith made of Mithril and Steel. Gimli and Legolas made a pact of friendship, that when the wars of their age ended, that Gimli should walk in the deep woods of Fangorn and that Legolas should behold the jeweled splendour of the Glittering Caves. The Glittering Caves lay in front of a huge and very beautiful cave system which proved irresistible to him. Gimli became known as the 'Lord of the Glittering Caves', although this new realm was presumably under the lordship of Thorin Stonehelm, his kinsman and heir of the lordship of all Durin's Folk. The Dwarves of the Glittering Caves restored the Hornburg following the War of the Ring, and it became a shared fortress between them and the Rohirrim. Etymology In Sindarin, it is called Aglarond, which means "Caves of Glory" or "Caves of Light". It comes from the words aglar ("glory, light") and rond ("cave").Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien''The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 5: ''The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies" It is called Glæmscrafu, the "Caves of Radiance", in Rohirric, which in actuality was an Anglo-Saxon word.Unfinished Tales, Part Three: The Third Age, V: "The Battles of the Fords of Isen" Notes Behind the scenes The Glittering Caves is one of the very few locations in Tolkien's work that can be associated with a real place. They were inspired by the caves of Cheddar Gorge, in the southern English county of Somerset. Translations References de:Aglarond es:Aglarond it:Caverne Scintillanti nl:De Glinsterende Groten pl:Błyszczące Pieczary Aglarondu ru:Агларонд Category:Caves Category:Dwarven Cities Category:Rohan